It’s time for Arts, Culture, Et Cetera, where LPM’s Giselle Rhoden shares what’s new in arts and culture around Louisville. Giselle talked with LPM’s Amina Elahi about the latest in and around LPM.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
Amina Elahi: This month has gone by way too fast. I think we need to catch up a little bit. So help us out. What’s new in arts and culture?
Giselle Rhoden: OK, absolutely. Yeah, I’ll catch you up. So LPM’s, Michelle Tyrene Johnson recently spoke to Jamaican restaurant owner Janice Clark about her new eatery Elliment in downtown Louisville, and also what she’s doing to help her family back home in Jamaica after the devastating hurricane, Hurricane Melissa. And also, the Louisville Zoo has a new furry friend, and his name is Chrys. I got to meet Chrys for myself. He’s the zoo’s only maned wolf, and he arrived earlier this month, and right before his birthday. This is the only one that they have after their last one, Sadie, died last year. So it’s new beginnings at the Louisville Zoo. Also, I got to meet a guy who visited every single public park in Louisville. His name’s McKenzie Gary. He’s 31, and he’s an entrepreneur from Maine, and he’s now moved to Louisville. He used this project to explore more of the city.
AE: So maned wolf… guy from Maine… I’m hearing mainly about what’s happening in the newsroom, but tell me what’s up with WUOL and WFPK?
GR: OK, that was good. That was really good. So we’ve got another week. It means a new “Kyle Meredith with..”. So WFPK’s Kyle Meredith spoke with the stars of this new Netflix film called “Train Dreams.” It’s a really interesting movie based on a book, and it’s about this man navigating the Pacific Northwest frontier at the turn of the 20th century. We’ve also got Louisville band Runaway Souls has a new single out called “The Fall” and WFPK’s Laura Shine has more on their latest WFPK’s Laura Shine has more on the latest edition of 502unes. And they’ll also be performing their new single at Mellwood Tavern on Nov. 29. And finally, it’s the season finale of the Music Box podcast. WUOL’s Kiana Del and music educator Fiona Palensky spoke to bassist Christian McBride about what it takes to be a professional musician. All good things must come to an end, I guess, for now. But I think this is a great end to the season for the Music Box.
AE: Well, and it’s a perfect time to catch up with the holiday long weekend coming up. It sounds like there’s a lot for us to listen to right now, but how about some things to do?
GR: Yeah so WFPK is actually hosting Eclect-A-Fest, which is a place to listen to world music from local bands, 14 of them. And one of them, you might actually know the band Yapa! I got to interview them earlier this year. They’ll be performing as well on Sunday, Nov. 30. We also have the Waterfront Botanical Gardens doing their Gardens Aglimmer. It’s returning this year. It’s a beautiful, glowing pathway of flowers and Christmas decor. You’ve got hot drinks for kids, cocktails for the adults. That’s going to be on Nov. 28 through Dec. 30. And finally, the Louisville Free Public Library’s adult winter reading program is back. It’s called Books and Brews 502. They’re pop-up events. If you visit any of the events, you can earn points towards certain prizes. So the more you read, the more you visit the local libraries in Louisville and attend events, the more you earn. That’s going to be starting on Dec. 1 through Feb. 28.
AE: Well, thanks for catching us up. And hey, Happy Thanksgiving.
GR: Yeah, you too!